19 Gilmore Rd | Burnett, Charles Ripley – Watner, David House

 Inventory No:
SBR.198 Historic Name:
Burnett, Charles Ripley - Warner, David House
Common Name:
Works, Francis Delano - Oland, Johan Warner House
Address:
19 Gilmore Rd
City/Town:
Southborough
Village/Neighborhood:
Local No:
12-41
Year Constructed:
c 1815
Architect(s):
Architectural Style(s):
Federal
Use(s):
Agricultural; Dairy; Orchard; Secondary Dwelling House;
Single Family Dwelling House
Significance:
Agriculture; Architecture; Recreation
Area(s):
Designation(s):
Building Materials(s):
Roof: Asphalt Shingle
Wall: Wood Shingle; Wood
Foundation: Stone, Uncut; Concrete Unspecified
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Massachusetts Historical Commission
220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125
www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc
This file was accessed on:
Friday, July 08, 2016 at 12:56 PM
Assessor's Number
F O R M B - BUILDING
M A S S A C H U S E T T S HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
USGS Quad
12-41
Area(s)
Marlboro
Form Number
198
Town S O U T H B O R O U G H
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
Place (neighborhood or village)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
% 19 Gilmore Road
Name
Charles Burnett House
resent residential
riginal residential
Construction ca. 1815
Conjecture/Noble/Visual
brm
P
Federal
^jjct/Builder
unknown
>r Material:
tion
Sketch M a p
Draw a map showing the building's location in relation to the
nearest cross streets and/or major natural features. Show all
buildings between inventoried building and nearest intersection
or natural feature. Label streets including route numbers, if any.
Circle and number the inventoried building. Indicate north.
stone
Wall/Trim
wood shingles/wood trim
Roof
asphalt
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures dilapidated barn of
weathered shingles, 3 windows of 9/6, double bam doors
facing west, brackets at wide eave overhang, on dry-laid
stone, ca. 1900
Major Alterations (with dates) rear ell, sliding doors at
rear, shingle siding - screened porch on right side/rear - all
mid 20 c , replacement windows after 1927.
_
th
a
Condition
Moved
_
good
no _
yes Date
Acreage One acre
Recorded by
Organization
Schuler/Forbes
th
Southborough Historical Commission
______
w
> ™
Date (month /year) 2/00
Setting Rural setting next to 18 c. dwelling across from
1950s ranch/capes, and surrounded by new 1990s
subdivision, stone wall lining front and side property lines
with row of maple trees behind front stone wall
R E C E I V E D
JUL 0 3 2003
Follow
_ W^I "Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form.
BUILDING F O R M
A R C H I T E C T U R A L D E S C R I P T I ON
• see continuation sheet
Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community.
The five-bay, two-story dwelling rests on a stone foundation, has shingled siding , and is topped by a hipped roof
with two interior cWmneys. The main block, which is one bay deep, displays a center hall plan and has a shed
roof enclosed porch at the rear o f the east (right) side and a rear addition that extends from the rear eave and has
a long wide nearly flat roof dormer between the two chimneys on the rear elevation. The center entrance has
squared tapered pilasters with molded caps that sit on high bases and carry a plain entablature with a bold
projecting molded cornice. Over the six-panel door is a half round glazed fanlight. The six-over-six sash are set
in plain flat frames with an ovolo molding at the cornice on the second story and small molded lintels at the first
story. Other trim is rninimal with flat corner boards and plain eaves. O n the west (left) side o f the dwelling there
is a projecting oriel that is part o f the rear addition all on a concrete foundation. The rear elevation all o f which is
new has shding doors, kitchen windows and a projecting bay, all part o f the twentieth century alterations that
have eliniinated the original rear wall o f the house. A photograph labeled 1927 shows the house with shingled
siding and two-over-two window sash.
-
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
_ see continuation sheet
Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the
role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community.
Prior to the advent o f the railroad in the 1830s and the estabhshment o f the mill villages o f Cordaville and
Southville taking advantage o f the new transportation, the southern part o f Southborough had scattered
farmsteads and some saw and grist rnills. Each o f Southborough's four quadrants had a schoolhouse by 1785 for
grades one through eight which operated sporadically depending upon growing and harvest seasons. The few
dwellings in the southern part o f town were along Gilmore, Richards, the southern part o f Woodland, and
Oregon Roads.
Tradition states that this house was built by the early-nineteenth century owner o f 15 Gilmore Road, Charles
Ripley Burnet, (later spelled Burnett) for his son, Charles Burnet and his wife Keziah Pond o f Medway at the
time o f their marriage in 1815. The Burnets had arrived at this location in the 1780s when Charles Ripley Burnet
married Lovina Mathews, daughter o f Asahel Mathis (aka Mathews) (1732-1811), whose family owned 15
Gilmore Road for nearly a century. The land for this property was part o f the Mathews-Burnett Farm. Charles
and Keziah Pond Burnet's, son, Joseph Burnett, was born in this house in 1820. Joseph Burnett (1820-1894)
lived here at his parents' house through his school days including commuting by horse and wagon to Worcester
to attend the English and Latin schools as well as Worcester Technical College. Eventually he moved to Boston
only to return to Southborough in 1848 after which time he contributed greatly to Southborough as founder o f
St. M a r k ' s School as well as St. M a r k ' s Church among other important contributions. Daniel Warner (18061863) is reported to have purchased the property in 1828 from a Joseph Fay. Further research would be
necessary to corifirm this transaction. Daniel Warner, had been raised by his grandparents, Daniel I. and Grace
Waiters Warner, due to his own father's death prior to his birth. A l l three Daniel Warners, grandfather Daniel I.
Warner, father Daniel Warner (1777-1806), and son Daniel Warner who lived here for tWrty-five years, attended
the North School in Boston and after his schooling Daniel Warner's grandfather sent Mrn to Stowe to apprentice
to a cooper. Warner moved to Southborough in 1826 to marry AJmira Gardner with whom he had eight
INVENTORY F O R M CONTINUATION SHEET
Town
SOUTHBOROUGH
MASSACHUSETTS
HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS
A R C H I V E S B U I L D I NG
19 G I L M O R E R O A D
Area(s)
Form No.
198
220 M O R R I S S E Y B O U L E V A R D
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Property Address
02125
H I S T O R I C A L N A R R A T I V E (Continued)
children. Warner's wife, Almira, died in 1852 and Warner married Harriet Hapgood Gould (d. 1902) with whom
he had two more children. The Federal Agricultural Census o f 1850 accounted for Warner's real estate
assessment to be $1800. He owned 67 acres and grew rye, Indian corn, and Irish potatoes and made 400 pounds
o f butter. This production appears to be common among the 107 Southborough farmers recorded in the
Agricultural Census o f 1850. The late nineteenth century owner was Francis Delano Works (1837-1911) who
was assessed in 1874 and again in 1894 for two cows, a house, storehouse, and a 17 acre farm. F.D. Works was
the son o f Nathan and M a r k Works who lived at 21 Richards Road. According to the 1909 Assessor's Report,
Francis D . Works, a 72-year old musician, still owned this 17-acre farm with a house and storehouse. In the
1920s this property was owned by movie actor, Johan Warner Oland (1880-1938), who rose to fame when he
was cast as Charlie Chan in seventeen movies. Oland and his wife purchased this property by 192land may have
lived here year-around for some time as Warner Oland was listed in the assessors report as a farmer in 1921.
They called it Smoke Tree Lodge for the large speciman smoke tree that was on the front lawn. Also they
planted the rows of sugar maples along the stone walls separating this farm from the John Mathews House next
door at 15 Gilmore Road. Later in the 1920s and 1930s it was a summer home or vacation retreat for the Olands
who called it "Smoke Tree F a r m " for the large smoke tree on the front lawn at that time. Apparently, they had
purchased surrounding property because at the time o f Oland's death, when on holiday in his home country,
Sweden, it was reported that his Southborough place was a 125-acre farm with two modest buildings and an
apple orchard. Oland and his wife, who were estranged at the time o f his death, had converted a barn to an artist
studio by placing four large windows in the north side o f the barn. B o t h are reported to have enjoyed painting
here. The existing barn does not have evidence o f windows in the north side and does not appear to have been
converted, thus it may have been another building that no longer exists. Two months after Oland's death,
according to a newspaper article, Harrison H . Schaff, o f 15 Gilmore Road, purchased ten lots in the Rural
Cemetery including perpetual care in the name o f Warner Oland. Newspaper articles account for his ashes being
buried here after the purchase, however, his obituary written at the time of death stated that he would be buried
in his home country o f Sweden as he wished. A large irregularly cut roundish stone marking Oland's resting
place is visible from Cordaville Road in the Rural Cemetery. It is interesting to note that this property and the
John Mathews, Jr. House at 15 Gilmore Road, were used as summer houses in the early twentieth century. It
was not uncommon in the early 1900s for eighteenth and nineteenth century farmhouses in outlying towns to be
purchased as summer houses.
B I B L I O G R A P H Y and/or R E F E R E N C E S
_
see continuation sheet
Assessor's Records: 1860, 1870, 1881, 1894, 1897, 1909, 1921.
Atlases/Maps; 1831, 1857 (D. Warner), 1870 (F.Works),1898 (F.D. Works).
INVENTORY F O R M CONTINUATION SHEET
Town
SOUTHBOROUGH
M A S S A C H U S E T T S HISTORICAL COMMISSION
Property Address
19 G I L M O R E R O A D
Area(s)
Form No.
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 M O R R I S S E Y B O U L E V A R D
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
198
02125
B I B L I O G R A P H Y and/or R E F E R E N C E S (continued)
Directories: 1900, 1903.
Noble, Richard. Fences o f Stone.
Southborough Historical Society. Old Southborough: A Photographic Essay.
Southborough Historical Society, vertical files.
Southborough Library, vertical files.
Vital Records to 1850.
-
_ Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed
National Register Criteria Statement form.
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
Community
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
Property Address
SOUTHBOROUGH
19 GILMORE RD.
220 M O R R I S S E Y B O U L E V A R D
B O S T O N , M A S S A C H U S E T T S 02125
Area(s)
Form No.
1198
National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Form
Check all that apply:
•
Individually eligible
•
Contributing to a potential historic district
Criteria:
_ A
•
Criteria Considerations:
_
Eligible only in a historic district
B
•
_
A
C
•
Q Potential historic district
•
B
D
•
C
•
D
•
E
•
F
•
G
Statement of Significance by
Schuler/Forbes, Consultants
The criteria that are checked in the above sections must be justified here.
The Charles Burnett House is representative of early nineteenth century dwelling and is associated with its
neighbor the John Mathews House because it was built by a descendant of the Mathews nearly a century later to
accommodate expanding families. It retains defining architectural features and is eligible for National Register
listing in association with the neighboring property. It retains integrity of location, design, materials,
workmanship, association and feeling.
(Attach photo here)
i -t 1. L
zt _ ; / ! A.
eet address
e:
L
original & present
esent owner
pen to p u b l i c
ite
Style
>urce of date
'chitect
O R p a r t of A r e a #
3„ C O N D I T I O N
E x c e l l e n t Good
F a i r Deteriorated
Moved
4. D E S C R I P T I O N
FOUNDATION/BASEMENT:
High" Regular)LOW
WALL COVER: Wood J S A - ^ f f f ^
ROOF:
Altered
Xoide(|_.
^ .
Material C T ^ V
Ci^tt
ccP
_
B r i c k Stone Other
Ridge G a m b r e l F l a t ' j M p ^ M a n s a r d
T o w e r Cupola D o r m e r windows B a l u s t r a d e G r i l l w o r k
CHIMNEYS:
STORIES:
1 ^ 3
1 ^)
PORCHES{*_)2
FACADE:
4
Center
3 4
JEnd)
feterior)
A T T A C H M E N T S : Wings . F I T . Shed A ^ t t
3 4
Gable end:
Irregular
Cluster
A ,
PORTICO
Front/side
,_. CXi^j d
<-X__,
Balc_y
Ornaments
Entrance:
Side
Front:( Center/Side
Windows:
Spacing: ^ ^ ^ L l ^ ^ t r r e g u l a r
Corners;
Plain Pilasters
v
Quoins
Elaborate
Details:
Identical^ari^
Cornerboards
5. Indicate l o c a t i o n of b u i l d i n g i n r e l a t i o n to
n e a r e s t c r o s s streets and other buildings
6. Footage of s t r u c t u r e f r o m street
P r o p e r t y has
_ f e e t frontage on street
Recorder
For
Photo #
5~ >^
S E E R E V E R S E SO
Date.
R E L A T I O N O F SURROUNDING
STRUCTURE. , ,
(
1„ Outbuildings.
2. Landscape F e a t u r e s : A g r i c u l t u r e
P r e d o m i n a n t features
Landscape architect
Open Wooded G a r d e n :
Formal/Informal
3. N e i g h b o r i ng S t r u c t u r e s
Style: C o l o n i a l F e d e r a l G r e e k R e v i v a l Gothic R e v i v a l Italian V i l l a
Venetian Gothic M a n s a r d R i c h a r d s o n i a n M o d e r n
Use: Residential Commercial
Religious
Conditions: Excellent
Lombard Rom.
Good
Fair
Deteriorated
G I V E A B R I E F D E S C R I P T I O N O F H I S T O R I C I M P O R T A N C E O F S I TE (Refer and elaborate on
theme c i r c l e d on front of form)
B I B L I O G R A P H Y AND/OR R E F E R E N C E
RESTRICTIONS
O r i g i n a l Owner:
Deed Information:
Form B.
Book Number
1 0 M - 1 1 - 6 9 - 04 5 6 5 4
age.
R e g i s t r y of Deeds